Tweet

State your goals the SMART WAY

Guest post by: Howard Shore

Article Overview: The first step in successfully executing a goal is to state it properly. You know your goal is well stated when anyone who reads it knows exactly what you are trying to accomplish and in what time frame. The better a person states the goal, the easier it is to create the action plan. An acronym commonly used for stating a goal properly is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistically high, and Time-based).

State your goals the SMART WAY

The first step in successfully executing a goal is to state it properly. You know your goal is well stated when anyone who reads it knows exactly what you are trying to accomplish and in what time frame. The better a person states the goal, the easier it is to create the action plan. An acronym commonly used for stating a goal properly is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistically high, and Time-based).

While these criteria seem simple, they are actually not easily achieved. If they were, everyone would be reaching a lot more of their goals. Very briefly, let us discuss what each of these criteria really means:
- Specific – You say exactly what it is you want to do. Hazy goals are doomed to failure. For example, “We are going to establish a new training program for our supervisors by 10/1/XX.” You are not defining what you want to train them to do.
- Measurable – The goal must be stated in a way that allows you to definitely know whether it has been achieved. In addition, you should be able to see whether the trend is negative so that you can modify your detailed action steps accordingly. For example, “We are going to increase the frequency of meetings with our hourly staff.” How often would you consider acceptable, and what do you want to communicate about?
- Attainable and Realistically High – Goals must be lofty enough so we do not trip over them. If the goal is too low it will not stimulate anyone to put forth extra effort. On the other hand, if the goal is unrealistic no one will take it seriously.
- Time-Based – When do you want this goal completed by? Be honest, are there goals you have talked about for years that are still on your to-do list? It is probably because you have not committed to a deadline.

The following is and example of a SMART goal:

Get 10 appointments with decision-makers in the hospitality industry that employ more than 250 people and are located within 50 miles of Miami area by the end of the quarter.

Once you have stated your goal in a manner that meets all of the SMART criteria, you then need to consider whether they achieve WAY (Written, Aligned, and Yours).

It is not unusual to meet people who have goals they have not communicated to anyone. Even worse, they may not be written down anywhere. In personal and organizational circumstances, it is always best to write your goals down for the following reasons:
- Helps clarify your thinking
- Keeps your goal from unconsciously being altered
- Helps strengthen commitment
- Simplifies the communication process
- Provides a framework for measurement
- Allows you to compare them to other goals

A common reason goals do not get achieved or take longer than expected is improper alignment. Goals may not be aligned for reasons that include:
- Creation by separate people or departments
- Failure to consolidate goals in one place to review congruence
- In our desire to be optimistic, we are unrealistic
- Incomplete or nonexistent action plans that underestimate what it will take to achieve our goal.
- Failure to prioritize goals, thus giving them all equal priority.

Lastly, if a goal is yours, it is much more likely that you will be internally motivated to achieve it. It is hard to get excited about somebody else’s goals. This is primarily due to the fact that most people act based on their own self interest.

If you have goals that are not communicated succinctly to everyone, who is responsible for accomplishing each part of the plan, and what is the likelihood they are going to do it? People like to have purpose and know where they are going. We use goals to focus individuals and organizations in the same direction. When we achieve goals, it increases energy, which has a positive impact on results, thus further increasing energy, increasing focus on goals, increasing results, increasing energy, and so on. It is that simple!

Reference and excerpts taken with permission from Leadership published by Resource Associates Corporation, Mohnton, PA

Related Articles
  Everything I Know About Business I Learned from Colonel Flagg
  Most successful people set goals. How about you?
  Are Your Goals SMART?
  Strategic Planning Must Include a Strategic Action Plan Filled with WAY SMART Goals
  Rat-like Cunning - Intelligent Persistence, Singular Focus

Article Tags: acronym, commitment, goals, SMART, time frame, WAY



Related Forum Posts
Re: Did you reach your goal this year? - Turns out there's 5 meeting locations for Toastmasters International in State College alone... only 30 minutes from my town. Most likely due to Penn State University, but surprising nonetheless that I have never heard of the organization before. I'll have to look more into it as it sounds like something I could benefit from.
Re: $200,000 in 91 days - You have setup a SMART goal. But, is this realistic. I doubt. Anyway will wait till March to hear from you.
Re: Did you reach your goal this year? - [quote="Alan Mater":35bhlot8]Turns out there's 5 meeting locations for Toastmasters International in State College alone... only 30 minutes from my town. Most likely due to Penn State University, but surprising nonetheless that I have never heard of the organization before. I'll have to look more into it as it sounds like something I could benefit from.[/quote:35bhlot8] There are lot of things we never heard of before until someone tells us. This is why I like this forum, the information we get here are priceless
Re: Quote of the Day - "People are not lazy. They simply have im - To stay motivated and work to achieve your goals, first thing is that the goals must be ones that you truly want and believe you can achieve. If the goals are ones that you think you should have,(in other words impotent goals) then forget it, it just won't happen. MichelleJ
Re: Did you meet your goals in 2010? - Hey Yinka, I met some of my goals, but I didn't meet others. One of my goals was to get out of debt. I managed to do so, only to get back into debt due to an unforeseen circumstance. Business-wise, I didn't quite reach the goals I had; although, I came much closer than I did back in 2009. At least it was an improvement, and I expect to reach my goals for 2011. Best wishes for you, and I hope you can reach all the goals you set.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Your Local Small Business Online Marketing Funnel

Angel Investors Where Are You?

Steps For Starting A Small Business

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.